'Fatwa' justifying protests against Salman Rushdie

With controversy mounting over author Salman Rushdie's proposed visit to India, another Muslim sect Darul Uloom Farangimahal has issued a "fatwa" here justifying protests against the visit under the ambit of law.

"All Muslims, without flouting the law should oppose through every possible means, the visit of the person who used insulting words against the prophet so that he cannot set his foot in this country where crores of Muslims live," Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangimahal of the sect said.

He further said that India is a secular country and every citizen had the right to raise his voice under the ambit of the law.

The move comes close on the heels of opposition of the visit by key Muslim religious organisations including the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband and the Barelvi sect.

Noting that the visit will hurt the sentiments of Muslim community, Deoband had earlier sought cancellation of Rushdie's visa to stop him visiting the country.

Muslim organisations have warned of "unprecedented protest" if Rushdie is allowed to enter Jaipur to attend the Literature Festival scheduled to begin here next Friday.

If the author attends the festival, they said, a large scale Dharna will be held near Jama Masjid Johri Bazar here in which muslims from all over the state will assemble to protest and the government will be solely responsible if law and order situation is disturbed.

"Rushdie hurt the sentiments of the Muslims and no member of the community wants his presence in the country as well as in the state," Habibullah, a representative of Jaiat Ulma- E-Hind (Rajasthan) said at a joint-press conference of the Muslim organisations in Jaipur.

At the press conference, a young man embarrassed the representatives of Muslim organisations by shouting 'Indian Mujahideen'.

Embarrassed by the act of this man, who appeared in the briefing suddenly, the representatives asked their volunteers to push him away immediately.

Before the man could say anything else, he was slapped and taken away. The organisers claimed he was not known to them and after the brief interruption they resumed the conference.

A group of Muslims burnt Rushdie's effigy in Ajmer and demanded from the state government that his entry into Jaipur be banned.

The group assembled after Namaz at Peer Road and burnt the effigy of the controversial writer.